Apparatus for deforming tubular material



1965 B. WOODWARD, JR., ETAL 3,209,575

APPARATUS FOR DEFORMING TUBULAR MATERIAL Filed April 30, 1962 MIN IN VEN TORS BERNARD WOODWARD, JR. AUGUSTUS M. GR/SWOLD ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,209,575 APPARATUS FOR DEFORMING TUBULAR MATERIAL Bernard Woodward, Jr., 88 Castle Bar Road, and Augustus W. Griswold, 1927 Culver Road, both of Rochester, N.Y.

Filed Apr. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 191,690 14 Claims. (Cl. 72335) This invention relates to method and apparatus for deforming and perforating deformable tubular material, and more particularly method and apparatus for flattening a selected surface area of a cylindrical or round deformable tubular materal and substantially simultaneously perforating the flattened area to receive a transverse or lateral fitting for a manifold or distribution header.

Manifolds or headers for hydraulic, pneumatic and other fluid systems have in the past been manufactured in three forms. One form of known header is manufactured by casting and machining. Such construction has the disadvantage of being relatively expensive to manufacture, and the product is, by reason of the method of manufacture, of very thick wall and heavy construction. Moreover, the casting process is not economically adapted to providing a wide range of headers suited for varying specifications.

The second and most acceptable known method of manufacturing such headers or manifolds is to thread relatively thick-walled stock pipe. Lateral fittings are then threaded into the threaded holes provided. This construction also provides a very heavy and relatively expensive product.

Most of the recent problems encountered in manufactured headers have been as a result of trying to produce headers of thin wall construction. If the main body is of rectangular cross-section, the attendant problems of forming the lateral fittings would be greatly minimized. However, the side wall pressure problems involved, will not permit thin wall construction where rectangular in cross-section tubing is used. When cylindrical tubing is used there are the attendant problems of forming satisfactory lateral connections or fittings. The latter problem has been the source of many inventions, none of which have satisfactorily produced, inexpensively manufactured manifolds.

In order to overcome the disadvantages presented by the first two mentioned types of headers, a more recently conceived method has been to make a manifold from deformable sheet material and form the longitudinal part of the header only after the lateral fittings have been provided on the sheet material. This method has the obvious disadvantage of the generally unsatisfactory longitudinally extending seam of the longitudinal conduit portion of the header.

One object of our invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior known manifolds or headers and particularly, apparatus for making the same.

A significant object of our invention is to provide an inexpensively manufactured header of thin-wall construction.

A further object of our invention is to provide relatively simple and novel apparatus for forming perforated flattened surfaces on substantially thin-walled cylindrical tubing adapted to receive lateral fittings.

Thus, it is a further object of our invention to provide more satisfactory apparatus for inexpensively manufacturing manifolds and headers of the above described nature.

To the end that our invention accomplishes the above objects, we have invented novel apparatus for, more satisfactorily and less expensively, forming a flattened area with a concentric perforation, simultaneously deformable on a tubular material, preferably thin wall copper, adapted to receive a preformed internally threaded lateral fitting to be brazed thereon.

We provide a floating interior die member over which the deformable tubular material is slidable. The die member has a flattened surface and a transverse bore intersecting the flattened surface. We provide means for aligning the interior die member. Externally of the deformable tubular material, we provide cooperating external die members rigidly supporting the tubular material in selected vertical and horizontal planes. The external die members have a bore, in registry with the bore of the internal die member, for receiving a deformer or flattener member carrying a punch or perforating element. When actuated, by a ram, the deformer member and perforating element simultaneously flatten and perforate the selected area of the deformable tubular material.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be particularly set forth in the claims and will be apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of our invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of a manifold produced by our novel method and apparatus; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the manifold shown in FIG. 4 taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

With reference to FIG. 1, this invention is operative between a ram (not shown) and a bed 12 of a press. The reciprocal motion of the ram is illustrated by the double headed arrow 11. It will be understood that the ram (not shown), mounted above a support arm 10, rigidly connected in spaced relationship with bed 12, as indicated schematically by the double headed arrow at 11, is reciprocal toward and away from the bed 12 or in the alternative, for purposes of our invention, the bed 12 could be considered as the ram of the press and made vertically reciprocal.

For purposes of describing the illustrated embodiment, the bed 12 will be considered as stationary, upon which is rigidly mounted a right angle support block 14, as for example, by bolts 13. Block 14 carries a longitudinally extending floating or cantilever bar 15 being substantially rectangular in cross-section. Longitudinally extending floating bar 15 is adapted to receive, in keyed relationship, an interior die member 16 rigidly mounted thereon in horizontally spaced relationship with block 14 as illustrated in FIG. 1. Interior die member 16 has longitudinally extending vertically disposed generally arcuate shaped outer walls 17 adapted to receive an interior bore 20 of a selected length of round or cylindrically shaped deformable tubular material 21, such as copper tubing. It is not essential to the concept of our invention that the vertical side walls 17 of the interior die be of arcuate configuration as will be explained hereinafter. Where the word tubular is used hereinafter in the specification and claims, it will be understood not to be restricted in meaning to a round or cylindrical configuration but generally to longitudinally extending hollow pipe having arcuate side walls.

The bar 15 and die member 16 keyed thereto are solely supported at the right hand end thereof on support block 14. Vertical alignment of the bar 15 and die member 16 at the left end is furnished by an alignment guide pin 55 depending from rigid support arm and cooperating with transverse holes 53 of bar 15. It will be understood that the cantilever bar may extend for a substantial distance because our invention does not depend upon the cantilever connection, at support 14, to oppose the deforming and punching force transmitted through the tubular material 21 to the interior die 16.

Horizontal and vertical alignment of the tubular material 21 is provided by external die blocks or die members 24, each being rigidly carried on arms 26 by through bolts 25; arms 26 are pivotally anchored at 28 to the bed 12. Also, the external die blocks 24 oppose or carry the deforming and punching force or load, as described more in detail hereinafter.

The right hand die block or member 24 is illustrated in FIG. 1 in solid lines at a retracted position and at broken lines in a closed position abutting the left hand external die block. In the closed position, the external die blocks 24 cooperate to vertically and horizontally align the deformable tubular material 21. Each die block 24 is provided with a horizontal longitudinally extending semicircular recess 23 adapted for embracing and mating with the exterior periphery of the tubular material 21. Each die block 24 also is provided with an upper vertical lateral semicircular shaped recess 30 extending from the top planar surface thereof to the horizontal recess 29. Each exterior die block 24 also has a lower vertical lateral semicircular shaped recess Stl-A extending from the lower planar surface thereof to the horizontal recess 29. The two upper recesses 30 cooperate, when the die blocks 24 are in the closed position, to form a circular hole adapted to axially receive a deformer or flattener 31 rigidly connected to and controlled by the ram (schematically shown at 11). Each of the lower recesses 30-A cooperate to embrace a vertical alignment block 22. Block 22 rigidly mounted by threads 23 to the bed 12, cooperates with the two lateral recesses 3lA to vertically align the exterior die blocks 24. In turn, the tubular material 21 is vertically and horizontally aligned between the die blocks 24.

Each die block 24 is provided with a horizontally extending pin 32 adapted to be received by a fastener block 34 having a portion adapted to overlie pin 32 and prevent vertical movement of the die blocks 24.

Each die block 24 has a horizontal transverse hole 37, in registry with each other when the die blocks are closed; these holes receive a through bolt 39 for locking the die blocks together in the closed position and prevent pivotal action of the blocks about the pivot anchor 28.

With reference to FIG. 2, the deformer 31 has a concentric interior bore 35 receiving a punch body 36 having a larger in diameter projecting punch head 38. Punch body 36 is rigidly supported in and movable with the deformer 31, as for example, by set screw 33.

Interior die member 16 has a vertical lateral bore 40 adapted to receive a flanged sleeve or die button 41. An interior bore 42 of flanged sleeve 41 receives and mates with the head 38 of punch body 36. An upper horizontal surface 44 of the flanged portion of sleeve 41 provides a deforming or flattening surface cooperating with a lower horizontal surface 45 of deformer 31 to flatten a portion of the tubular material 21 corresponding in shape and configuration to the lower surface 45 of the deformer 31. As the ram (schematically shown at 11) and deformer 31 are depressed, the punch head 38 perforates the tubular material 21 by the shearing action between the outside periphery of the head 38 and the inside bore 42 of the flanged sleeve 41, while the lower surface 45 of deformer 31 simultaneously flattens the surrounding area of the perforation. Thus, we provide a selected flattened or planar surface on the tubular material 21 with a perforation of selected configuration positioned at a desired place on the flattened area.

While our invention is herein characterized by projecting punching head 38, it will be understood that our invention could provide a punch member, the entire length of which was of the same diameter as the punch body 36 and reciprocal within the bores 35 to provide substantially simultaneous perforation of the flattened or deformed portion 47 (see FIG. 4) of the tubular material 21. In this manner, the deformer 31 could be utilized as a stripper sleeve for stripping the tubular material from a reciprocal punch as it is being retracted.

As mentioned above, it is not essential that the vertical longitudinally extending sidewalls 17 conform to the interior bore 2%) of the tubular material 21 or even be of arcuate cross-section; however, in order to transmit the vertical force of the deformer 31 and punch 38 through the internal die member 16 to the external die blocks 24 without substantial deformation of the lower portion of the tubular material 21, it is essential to provide a selected bearing surface on the bottom of internal die 16 generally conforming to the contour of the tubular material 21, and in selected spaced relationship vertically from the flat bearing surface 44 of the die button 41 in order to provide the selected deformation surrounding the flattened area 47. To this end, we have provided two such bearing surfaces on the lower region of the internal die member 16 in vertical alignment with the arrows 43 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), at which positions the vertical force of the punch 38 and deformer 31 is transmitted from internal die 16, through tubular material 21 to external die blocks 24 on horizontal longitudinal recess 29 without deformation of the lower region of the tubular material. Depending upon the selected deformation of the tubular material 21 surrounding the flattened area 47 and the selected depth of the flattened area 47, it is only essential that interior die member engage the tubular material 21 at the areas thereof, through which the vertical force of deformer 31 and punch 38 is transmitted from the interior die member 15 to the exterior die blocks 24.

Thus, we have provided the construction for making a single flattened area or surface 47 having a perforation 50 therethrough. As described heretofore, our invention is particularly well suited for providing a flattened area with a concentric bore or perforation 50 into which hole is received and onto which flattened surface is brazed, as illustrated at 51, a fitting 52 (see FIG. 5).

In the manufacture of headers or manifolds, it is often desirable to provide lateral fittings 52 on opposite sides of the main longitudinal conduit, such as the tubular material 21. The two lower cavities 46 are designed to receive the already formed bulge 48, and a lower flattened surface 49 of interior die 16, between the vertical force bearing surfaces indicated by arrows 43, is provided for the already formed flattened area 47 of the tubular material 21. With this construction, it is possible to turn the tubular material 180 after forming the flattened surface 47 and perforation 50 to form another flattened surface 47-A (FIG. 5) and perforation 50-A on the opposite side of the tubular material in vertical alignment as viewed in FIG. 5.

To the end that this invention is particularly suited for manufacture of manifold or headers for hydraulic, pneumatic or other fluid systems, we utilize the aligning guide pin to furnish uniform spacing of the flattened areas 47 and perforations 50. One or more vertical holes 53 at left hand end of bar 15, adapted to receive guide pin 55, is provided in vertical alignment with corresponding vertical bores 54 of the support arm 10. In order to effect perfect alignment or spacing of the flattened areas 47 and perforations 50, the pin 55, holes 53 and 54 are smaller in diameter than the perforations 50 and the pin 55 carries a truncated conical collar 56, adapted to be received in the perforation 50 and seat in a shouldered portion 58 of bar 15, larger in diameter than the bore or hole 53 and smaller in diameter than flattened portion 47. Thus, the horizontal distance between the guide pin 55 and the deformer 31 represents the selected spacing between two adjacent flattened areas 47 and perfora tions 50.

In order to provide means for adjusting the spacing between adjacent flattened and perforated areas of the tubular material 21, we have provided a plurality of the holes 53 and 54 of varying horizontally spaced distances from vertical axis of the deformer 31, as illustrated by the four double headed arrows 60-63 inclusive. In this manner, we provide adjustable guiding means for uniformly spacing the flattened areas 47 and perforations 50.

It will be understood from FIG. 1, that because the guide pin 55 is positioned to the left of deformer 31, the tubular material 21 to be flattened and perforated is moved to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 after each perforating and flattening operation. To prevent rotation of the tubular material 21 as it is moved longitudinally to the left, the illustrated embodiment includes a split guide block, comprising a pair of C-blocks 65 and 67, cooperating to form a bore 68 adapted to receive the exterior periphery of the tubular material 21. Through bolts 66 provide a vise for rigidly clamping C-blocks 65 and 67 to the tubular material. .The lower'C-block 67 rests on the bed 12, thereby tubular material 21 is keyed to the bed 12 as it is moved horizontally for preventing rotation of the tubular material 21. e

In operation, a selected length of tubular material 21 is slidably received externally of internal die member 16 and through the bore 68 of C-blocks 65 and 67. The C-blocks are rigidly secured around the tubular material 21 which is then moved to the left until a selected position for the first flattened area 47 and perforation 50 is in registry with deformer 31. The external die blocks 24 are then moved into cooperating relationship embracing the exterior periphery of the tubular material 21 and locked in position as above described. The ram schematically illustrated at 11, is depressed vertically until the first flattened area 47 and perforation 50 are formed, after which the ram, deformer and punch are retracted. The hold down pins 32 and overlying hold down blocks 34 facilitate stripping of the punch as it is retracted.

, The external die blocks 24 are pivoted about the axis 28 to release the tubular material 21. The tubular material 21 is then manually slid to left hand broken line position designated in FIG. 1 as 21-A where the perforation 50-A is brought into axial alignment with the hole 53-A of bar and guide pin 55. -In this position, the guide pin 55 is depressed until the truncated conical collar 56 mates with the perforation 50 as illustrated in FIG. 3 and further depressed fromthe FIG. 3 position until the lower end of the collar 56 is seated in the shouldered portion 58 of the bar 15 and the flattened area 47 engages the bar 15, thereby providing the selected spacing between flattened and perforated areas of the tubing. Thereafter, the exterior die blocks 24 are again brought into and locked in cooperating relationship embracing the tubular material 21 and the flattening and perforating operation is again executed. This sequence of operations is carried out until the selected full length of tubular material 21 has spaced flattened and perforated areas as illustrated in FIG. 4. Fittings 52 are then brazed or welded at 51 to the tubular material 21 such as illustrated in FIG. 5.

While we have shown and described the preferred form of mechanism of our invention, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made therein, particularly in the form and relation of parts, without departing from the spirit of our invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A tubular material deforming apparatus for use between the bed and ram of a press comprising, in combina tion,

(a) die means for supporting a selected length of said tubular material in a selected position, including an interior die member adapted to be embraced by the interior surface of said tubular material,

(b) a selected deforming'surface on said die member,

(c) a deformer means cooperating with said die means at said deforming surface for deforming a selected area of said tubular material,

(d) said interior die member has a transverse bore intersecting said deforming surface, and including (e) perforating means movable with said deformer means and cooperative with said die means at said transverse bore for perforating a selected portion of the selected deformed area of said tubular material. 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which, (f) said perforating means comprises a punch projection on said deformer member. 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including, (f) adjustable guide means spaced from said perforating means and adapted to be received by and mate in one ofsaid perforated portions for uniformly spacing said selected perforated portions. 4. A tubular material deforming apparatus for use be tween the bed and ram of a press comprising, in combination,

(a) an interior longitudinally extending die member supported at a first end only and adapted to be embraced by the interior surface of said round tubular material,

' (b) said die member having a substantially flat surface portion spaced from said first end,

(0) a deformer member cooperating with said interior die member at said flat surface to flatten a selected area of said tubular material, and

(d) means for supporting and for aligning said interior die member laterally with respect to said deformer while said flattened area is being formed on said tub ular material.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which said supporting and aligning means includes (e) a pair of external die members mounted for pivoting between operative and inoperative positions.

6. A tubular material deforming apparatus for use between the bed and ram of a press comprising, in combination,

(a) an interior longitudinally extending die member supported at a first end only and adapted to be embraced by the interior surface of said round tubular material,

(b) said die member having a substantially flat surface portion spaced from said first end,

(c) a deformer member cooperating with said interior die member at said flat surface to flatten a selected area of said tubular material,

((1) means for aligning said interior die members laterally with said deformer, and

(e) exterior die means cooperating with said interior die member for conforming a selected portion of the exterior sidewall of said tubular material generally surrounding said die member flat surface, while said flattened area is being formed on said tubular material.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which,

(f) said die member has a transverse bore intersecting said flat surface portion, and including,

(g) a punch movable with said deformer member and cooperative with said die member at said transverse bore for perforating a selected portion of the flattened area of said tubular material.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 including,

(h) means slidable with said tubular material for preventing rotation of said tubular material,

9. A tubular material deforming apparatus for use between the bed and ram of a press comprising in combination,

(a) a floating interior longitudinally extending die member adapted to be embraced by the interior sur- 7 face of said tubular material, said die member being supported at a first end,

(b) said die member having a substantially fiat surface portion,

(c) a deformer member having a flat end cooperating with said interior die member at said flat surface portion responsive to said ram for flattening a selected area of said tubular material,

(d) aligning means adapted to engage a second unsupported end of said interior die member for aligning said interior die member laterally with said deformer, and

(e) exterior die means for supporting said tubular material and for cooperating with said interior die member for conforming the exterior sidewall of said tubular material not overlying said fiat surface portion of said die member while said flattened area is being formed on said tubular material.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 in which,

(f) said interior die member has a transverse bore intersecting said flat surface portion, and including,

(g) a punch projection portion on said deformer member in axial alignment with said bore, said punch projection portion cooperating with said interior die member at said bore responsive to said ram for punching a hole in said tubular material.

11. A tubular material deforming apparatus for use between the bed and ram of a press comprising, in combination,

(a) die means for supporting a selected length of said tubular material in a selected position, and for conforming a substantial portion of the circumference of said tubular material to substantially said tubular configuration during deformation by the hereinafter claimed deformer means, including an interior die member adapted to be received in the interior surface of said tubular material,

(b) a selected deforming surface on said die member,

and

(c) a deformer means cooperating with said die means at said deforming surface for deforming a selected area of said tubular material.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 including a surface circumferentially spaced from said deforming surface adapted for receiving the deformed selected area of the tubular material thereby to permit radially spaced deformed selected areas being formed on said tubular material.

13. A tubular material deforming apparatus for use between the bed and ram of a press comprising, in combination,

(a) die means for supporting a selected length of said tubular material in a selected position, including an interior die member adapted to be embraced by the interior surface of said tubular material,

(b) a selected deforming surface on said die member,

(c) a deformer means cooperating with said die means at said deforming surface for deforming a selected area of said tubular material, and

(d) exterior die means embracing at least a portion of the exterior surface of said tubular material surrounding said die deforming surface and cooperating with said interior die member to maintain the original shape of most of said tubular material while said deformer member provides said deformed area.

14. A tubular material deforming apparatus for use between the bed and ram of a press comprising, in combination,

(a) die means for supporting a selected length of said tubular material in a selected position, including an interior die member adapted to be embraced by the interior surface of said tubular material,

(b) a selected deforming surface on said die member,

(c) a deformer means cooperating with said die means at said deforming surface for deforming a selected area of said tubular material, and

(d) a pair of retractable exterior die blocks adapted to embrace at least a portion of the exterior surface of said tubular material surrounding said die deforming surface and cooperating with said interior die member to maintain substantially the original shape of most of said tubular material while said deformer member provides said deformed area.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,068,432 1/37 Peters 29157.4 2,086,125 7/37 Ewing 29l57.4 2,221,934 11/40 Ferris 29157.4 2,896,975 7/59 Wahl et al 29157.4 3,064,707 11/62 Walts 153-21 3,125,149 3/64 May 1532 FOREIGN PATENTS 362,345 12/31 Great Britain.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

MICHAEL V. BRINDISI, Examiner. 

1. A TUBULAR MATERIAL DEFORMING APPARATUS FOR USE BETWEEN THE BED AND RAM OF A PRESS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (A) A DIE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A SELECTED LENGTH OF SAID TUBULAR MATERIAL IN A SELECTED POSITION, INCLUDING AN INTERIOR DIE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE EMBRACED BY THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID TUBULAR MATERIAL, (B) A SELECTED DEFORMING SURFACE ON SAID DIE MEMBER, (C) A DEFORMER MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID DIE MEANS AT SAID DEFORMING SURFACE FOR DEFORMING A SELECTED AREA OF SAID TUBULAWR MATERIAL, (D) SAID INTERIOR DIE MEMBER HAS A TRANSVERSE BORE INTERSECTING SAID DEFORMING SURFACE, AND INCLUDING (E) PERFORATING MEANS MOVABLE WITH SAID DEFORMER MEANS AND COOPERATIVE WITH SAID DIE MEANS AT SAID 